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How to use intracardiac echocardiography to guide catheter ablation of outflow tract ventricular arrhythmias
The anatomy of the ventricular outflow tracts and semilunar valves as it pertains to catheter ablation of outflow tract ventricular arrhythmias (OTVAs) has been described.1 Assessment of semilunar valve and regional anatomy by fluoroscopy and angiography has limitations. Coronary arteries may be subject to damage from catheter ablation near the semilunar valves due to their proximity to sites of origin of OTVAs. Detailed intracardiac echocardiographic (ICE) views of the semilunar valves may be useful to understand the anatomy, catheter location, and coronary artery proximity and variations.Retrograde venous ethanol ablation for ventricular tachycardia
Radiofrequency catheter ablation (RFCA) has been considered the first-line therapy for treatment of drug-refractory ventricular arrhythmias (VAs).1 The success of catheter ablation depends on our ability to reach the anatomic location of the ventricular tachycardia (VT) substrate. VTs arising from deep intramural regions2 or in close proximity to coronary vessels3 can have limited RFCA success. Transarterial coronary ethanol ablation has been used as an alternative treatment option and is reasonably successful in treating RFCA-refractory VTs.How to perform left atrial appendage electrical isolation using radiofrequency ablation
Although pulmonary vein (PV) isolation (PVI) has been considered an effective treatment for paroxysmal atrial fibrillation (AF), non-paroxysmal AF is a complex arrhythmia for which no ablation strategy has been demonstrated to be effective and widely accepted. As such, a success rate of ∼55% in these patients with AF (Substrate and Trigger Ablation for Reduction of Atrial Fibrillation Trial Part II [Star AF II trial]) is not acceptable in our opinion and efforts should be made to seek for alternative strategies.How to map and ablate parahisian ventricular arrhythmias
Ventricular tachycardia (VT) and premature ventricular contractions (PVCs) originating in the vicinity of the His-bundle region represent 3%–9% of all idiopathic ventricular arrhythmias (VAs).1,2 In addition, patients with cardiomyopathies and scar-related VT may exhibit septal arrhythmogenic substrate involving the parahisian region.3 Catheter ablation of these arrhythmias poses particular challenges because of the risk of inadvertent atrioventricular (AV) block, and a systematic approach is important to improve outcomes and minimize complications.When and how to target atrial fibrillation sources outside the pulmonary veins: A practical approach
Pulmonary vein (PV) isolation is an effective procedure in patients with paroxysmal atrial fibrillation (AF). For most patients with persistent AF and a subset of patients with paroxysmal AF, however, PV isolation may not be sufficient. Patients with the persistent form are more often beleaguered with comorbidities, which result in a greater degree of structural alterations that contribute to the maintenance of AF. In addition, the atrial activation rate during AF is higher (as evidenced by a shorter AF cycle length) in patients with persistent AF, consistent with a greater degree of electrical remodeling.Fluoroless catheter ablation of atrial fibrillation
Although the concept of performing fluoroless catheter ablation of atrial fibrillation (AF) was introduced several years ago, it has yet to gain wide adoption.1,2 Despite its well-documented advantages, there are several impediments, including concern that a fluoroless approach will add time to the procedure and may require a second operator. However, perhaps the greatest obstacle is that many electrophysiologists are trained to rely on fluoroscopic imaging and are therefore reluctant to trust intracardiac echocardiography (ICE) as their primary visual modality for tracking catheter movement and manipulation.Epicardial substrate ablation for Brugada syndrome
Brugada syndrome (BrS), characterized by the presence of coved-type ST-segment elevation followed by T-wave inversion in the right precordial electrocardiogram (ECG) leads in patients who have no structural heart disease but have a high risk of sudden cardiac death from ventricular fibrillation (VF), has captivated arrhythmia scholars and electrophysiologists for more than 2 decades. As a result, major progresses have been made toward a better understanding of the syndrome with respect to its genetic basis, underlying pathophysiology, and risk stratification.Pulmonary vein signal interpretation during cryoballoon ablation for atrial fibrillation
The recognition that paroxysmal atrial fibrillation (AF) is predominantly triggered by ectopic beats arising from the vicinity of pulmonary veins (PVs) has spurred the establishment of percutaneous procedures specifically designed to electrically sequestrate the arrhythmogenic PV from the vulnerable left atrium (LA) substrate.1 Recently, the procedure has evolved with the development of purpose-built pulmonary vein isolation (PVI) tools, such as the cryoballoon catheter. This article discusses the anatomic and electrophysiologic bases for the interpretation of pulmonary vein potentials (PVPs) using a small-caliber circular mapping catheter (CMC) and provides an expanded discussion on the pacing maneuvers relevant to cryoballoon-based PVI procedures.
